Attention! All audio files can be found here.

My First Americans: A Celebration of the First Americans in Every Family

In order to generate an America more empathetic to the struggle and worth of the ‘other’ and the immigrant we have initiated a nationwide community of ‘events’ at which people can tell the tale of their family's first Americans by doing something as as simple as sharing an old family recipe or as complicated as creating and performing an original song or story.

We are living in a nation divided by social and political differences that often appear irreparable. “My 1st American” is an opportunity to create peace through empathy and the discovery of commonality.

Though many of us were born here – someone in our family was either born elsewhere or had to struggle to become a fully accepted member of our society. This is an opportunity for all Americans -- Native Americans, immigrants, Americans brought here by force, children of immigrants, great and greater grand children of immigrants – any and all Americans, to create a song, story, monologue, scene, painting, cartoon – any short work that tells the tale of the first Americans in their families. Where did they come from? Why did they leave? How did they manage the journey? Who did they leave behind?

‘My 1st Americans’ is both an individual and a ‘community’ project! Communities of individuals are invited – be they schools, businesses, arts communities, communities of faith, any and all – to create events all over the country at which participants can perform their stories. In addition, they will be able to launch their stories onto the ‘My 1st American’ Facebook page which serves as a virtual hub for communities around the country.

This is a chance for all of us, regardless of political, social, religious or racial differences to discover and celebrate our lineage, take part in the journey and share it with the world. If we can revive and tell the tale of the First Americans in our family then perhaps we can empathize with, welcome, and empower the new immigrant.

 

EIFRIG PUBLISHING is supporting this project by publishing a book of the My First American stories and providing an online library of the stories.